Surprise!!! Marianne Vos returns to cyclo-cross after almost two years, World Championships likely main goal
Cyclo-cross
Marianne Vos returns to cyclo-cross! The eight-time world champion of Visma | Lease a Bike will compete in cyclo-cross on December 29. She will be at the start of her first cyclo-cross race in almost two years in Besançon, France.
The KNWU announces The Cannibal's return to the field on its website. "It is nice to welcome Marianne back in cyclo-cross," says Dutch national coach Gerben de Knecht. "She wants to get a taste of this discipline again in Besançon and, depending on her performance in this French race, will partly determine whether she will possibly ride the World Championships later this season." The cyclo-cross World Championships will take place in Liévin. The women's cyclo-cross race is scheduled for February 1.
De Knecht is pleased with the timing of Vos' return. "As a result, we have added a top rider among the women, where for once we have to do without Puck Pieterse (skipping this race) and Annemarie Worst (hand fracture) on this occasion," he explains. "These two riders have a dedicated personal starting spot, so I cannot replace them." Vos will be assisted by Lucinda Brand, world champion Fem van Empel and Ceylin Alvarado, among others.
Read more below the photo!
Familiar names among the men
"In the men's race, we are again looking forward to Mathieu van der Poel, who again made a special impression on Sunday," the national Dutch coach said. "For those who still doubted it, he performed excellent again." In France, the world champion will be in the company of Lars van der Haar, Pim Ronhaar, Ryan Kamp, Mees Hendrikx, and Corné van Kessel.
Besançon 2024 Dutch World Cup selections:
Elite men
- Mathieu van der Poel
- Lars van der Haar
- Pim Ronhaar
- Ryan Kamp
- Mees Hendrikx
- Corné van Kessel
Elite women
- Lucinda Brand
- Fem van Empel
- Ceylin Alvarado
- Inge van der Heijden
- Manon Bakker
- Leonie Bentveld
- Aniek van Alphen
- Denise Betsema
- Marianne Vos
- Lauren Molengraaf
- Puck Langenbarg
Read also
Il Lombardia 2024
The Pogacar effect: How Tadej has shaped the career of Matthews in a crucial way
Can Decathlon AG2R's big budget strike back against the 'Big Four' this spring?
Visma | Lease a Bike signs 17-year-old super talent: son of Armstrong's former domestique
Worst breaks two hand bones and undergoes surgery after painful crash in Zonhoven
Still busy with cyclo-cross, but Van der Poel is already looking ahead to the road season: "Won't start with San Remo"
Latest Cycling News
The Pogacar effect: How Tadej has shaped the career of Matthews in a crucial way
Can Decathlon AG2R's big budget strike back against the 'Big Four' this spring?
Visma | Lease a Bike signs 17-year-old super talent: son of Armstrong's former domestique
Worst breaks two hand bones and undergoes surgery after painful crash in Zonhoven
Still busy with cyclo-cross, but Van der Poel is already looking ahead to the road season: "Won't start with San Remo"
Popular Cycling News
Lance Armstrong refused to speak with Tom Boonen for years: "And I was only 20 years old, you know..."
Mathieu van der Poel makes one remarkable observation after show in Zonhoven: "I can't achieve that on the road"
Mathieu van der Poel responds to absence of duel now Wout van Aert won't compete due to illness
Cyclo-cross rankings 2024/2025 | Vanthourenhout keeps World Cup lead, Alvarado moves up
Unfortunate news for Wout van Aert and the cyclo-cross: Belgian is ill and has to skip Mol
Latest Comments
- Well explained, thanks for the clarity! Daniel DantasDanieldantas20-12-2024
- This is the kind of 'news' that belongs in a cheap tabloid. No matter how boring the offseason gets, nobody wants to read this.
santiagobenites19-12-2024 - I wish we could have seen him try. He'd absolutely get dropped before Pogi overtakes his domestiquesVeganpotter10-12-2024
- Talk is cheap! Next year barring crashes with a healthy team... all well be on track! Some need to talk to make a headline!mootman27-11-2024
- I do not see this event listed on HBO Max Sports Online? Can anyone confirm? Thanks!
MrYuck23-11-2024 - It seemed that he was focusing forward at the time of the crash, after seeing a quick video snippet. But one thing I think he should focus on more intently is breaking a bad habit he has, right now. And that is his constant looking over his shoulders. He does that so much, that I am very sure it is not good for him. Simply watch videos of the greats of CX and you will see very little of that constant looking over their shoulders. That is a behavior that betrays a bit of insecurity on his part. He shouldn't be so concerned, incessantly, about what is over his shoulder. He needn't worry they didn't all disappear. He neds to keep his focus more ahead of himself, and he needs to pay a bit more attention to himself, in a confident manner. It is very frustrating to watch, because it is apparent that he has a lot of potential, and is in much better shape thwan many of his competitors, but the mental game needs to be sharpened more, because that part of strategy plays a huge part in the final results
reemmo022-11-2024 - hahahaha love this shit! I didnt even watched the race, but reading all the gossip articles of how stupid this is!Zatoichi19-11-2024
- Van Aert is really handsome. He can influence me all day! Ditto for Philipsen. Why do you think many of us love cycling?: to see heroic attempts at climbing mountains at high altitudes or to watch speedsters sprint for the finish line or to watch a human being ride at break neck speed down a tricky descent? No, it's all about their lean physiques and muscular legs. (apologies for objectifying these dedicated and amazing athletes).BarwonHeadsUp25-10-2024
- It is unfortunate that the author can't feel the joy that Pogacar brings to the sport and his fans who are legion and I for one feel lucky to have watched such a memorable performance and historic season From the Strada until yesterday with multiple wins in stages in both tours and beyond dominance in the World's. He is proud to wear the Rainbow stripes, shows his leadership to protect his fellows and is as courteous and sportsman-like as the sport allows. He goes early to not have to respond to each attack as all the rest would make him do it. Any racer who could would do the same. Don't "grow tired" of greatness as it is always fleeting.ccrider13-10-2024
- What load of rubbish. Pog is likely a once in a generation cyclist, the like of which hasn't been seen since 'the Cannibal '. How many people were complaining that Merckx was making racing predictable? I remember this year's World RR as one of the most exciting I've watched. Mainly BECAUSE Pog was the favourite and launched what everyone thought (Pog included) was a suicidal attack with 80km to go. For the next 2 hours, I was on the edge of my seat thinking "this is too much, even for Pog". Maybe Zonnefeld prefers the snooze-fest that is a bunch sprint? Like most people I know, I can't watch two hours of the bunch riding very fast... I wait for the final 5km and watch just the sprint. In any event, most races are won from a sprint or lone break. What difference does it make who makes the lone break? Ultimately, the other contenders will have to figure out a way to beat Pog. Even if that means collaboration between teams. It's going to be an exciting few seasons, until the next Pog arrives on the scene. If this is boring, heaven knows what exciting looks like!Michael513-10-2024